Discover whether this enabled route to creating a bespoke home could be the right fit for you

WORDS DUNCAN HAYES

Custom build is a method of creating your own bespoke home where the upfront hard work is already taken care of. On a conventional self build you are responsible for sourcing a plot, securing planning permission and arranging services before you break ground. This can be time-consuming and costly. In contrast, custom build usually refers to multi-plot sites where an enabling company or developer prepares the site for sale. They will secure outline (or even detailed) planning permission and install the key infrastructure, such as roads, and the utilities to each plot. The enabler then markets these serviced plots, which is where the customer journey starts.

Custom build basics

The term custom build was coined by government in 2011 as a way to refer to self build at scale, but it is not consistently used by the sector. Some companies creating serviced plot sites refer to their product as self building, while others talk purely about custom build, and yet they might be offering similar models.

At its most simple, you could think of custom build as facilitated self build. In other words, you get a home tailored to your needs and preferences, but the process is more streamlined as the up-front elements are taken care of by the developer or enabler. As custom build operates on a spectrum, the route to creating your home on the serviced plot varies by development.

To simplify this process, most custom build sites use development-wide design codes and/or individual plot passports (see box, overleaf) to set out what’s acceptable. A sliding scale of involvement means that the more constrained the model, then the fewer design choices and opportunities to be hands on there are.

In terms of models, at the more restricted end of the scale, a custom build developer or enabler (or even several companies) will be involved with the site. These firms may be contracted to build your home, which might also be predesigned – at least externally. But you can customise elements, such as finishings and internal layouts. Check to see if you are tied in to any concept designs and whether there is a choice of pre-agreed house ‘types’ for the site or you have a more choice.

At the other end of the spectrum, custom build simply involves you buying the serviced plot, from which point you commission the home yourself. So, effectively you are self building but on a multi-plot site.

There are also variations, such as custom build terraced houses or even apartments, where you buy the shell and complete the rest of the works with your own team, although these remain the minority for now.